Transformation Thurrock : Transformation Thurrock in South Ockendon and Stanford-le-Hope last weekend

Transformation Thurrock in South Ockendon and Stanford-le-Hope last weekend

Tim Harrold's diary of a weekend spent with the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah...

Saturday 20 November - South Ockendon Forum

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A funny thing happened to on the way to the South Ockendon Forum... Not to me, and not to Pastor Frank Gaisie of Destiny Chapel, but I assume, to everyone else - because we were the only ones there!

With Frank’s encouragement, we continued through what had been prepared. This was to focus upon the Lord’s “Manifesto for Social Justice” as outlined in Isaiah 58:6-12. We’ve used this scripture before at previous Transformation Thurrock Prayer gatherings, but in the week I’d been prompted to return to it. Without doubt, such a scripture is relevant to the town of South Ockendon, which over the past 20 years has had the life sucked out of it by that nearby Temple of Mammon, Lakeside. Derwent Parade, on a grey late Autumn morning, has the feel of a drab Communist-era East Berlin suburb. That’s not to say that there’s no sense of community - indeed, there is, and the market was bustling.

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As I was waiting for Frank - and whoever else might turn up - I noticed on the lamppost next to the Forum the small emblem of a kingfisher. The kingfisher is a symbol of the ‘halcyon’, denoting peace, stillness and rest. But it also points to waiting and watching, and then paradoxically disturbing the peace by darting into the water below to catch a fish.

“You shall be fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). In South Ockendon, there are lots of men, women, boys and girls waiting to be caught like fish by the KIng.

So Frank and I used themes arising from Isaiah 58 to pray for,

the community of South Ockendon;
the Church in South Ockendon;
the Mardyke Fellowship, a loose group of some of the churches in the west of the borough (covering Purfleet, Aveley and South Ockendon);
Destiny Chapel (Frank’s church), which is finding it difficult to find a place to meet over Christmas.

It was a rich and deep time, and it felt like 'business' had been done. Frank and I both agreed that the streets of South Ockendon need to be doused in the prayers of prayer walkers, something which Transformation Thurrock will support.

Transformation Thurrock would like to thank South Ockendon Forum for allowing us the opportunity of meeting there.

Sunday 21 November - East Thurrock United Service at St Margaret’s, Stanford-le-Hope

These joint services aren’t for the East Thurrock United football team - they’re an opportunity for all of the churches at the ‘east end’ of the borough to come together in worship and prayer. This particular service had been planned for sometime - Rev John Guest had asked for another Transformation Thurrock Prayer night after we’d had one back in May.

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A good 50 or so people attended, from St Margaret’s and Fresh Hope Community; from Corringham Evangelical and Corringham Baptist churches; from Stanford-le-Hope Methodists and the recently opened Gateway People’s Centre. (If I’ve left any out - my apologies!)

The service opened with a time of worship led by John Gorham. I then continued the Isaiah 58 theme from the day before by reading out two renditions of verses 6 through 12 from the New International Version and The Message. Everyone then got into small groups and prayed through aspects of these scriptures and applying them to their own experiences and observations of Thurrock. (See below.)

We then moved into presenting three major cross-denominational mission opportunities that are currently emerging in the borough, all inter-linked and being promoted by Transformation Thurrock.

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This was followed by a Powerpoint presentation by Colin Baker, pastor at Grays Baptist Church, about Epicentre Thurrock and Rock Thurrock, the outreach to young people in partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelism Association. This was Colin’s first opportunity to speak out the vision to an audience, and it came over as being very succinct and clear, and was greeted with enthusiasm, even if Colin did have to ‘gee’ us up a bit along the way!

I then said a few words about UNITE 30/31, the new inter-church youth service that has recently started up as a result of conversations arising from Epicentre.

The third strand of this emerging cord is that of the London 2012 Olympics, and the opportunity it affords Thurrock on so many levels. I showed a short DVD by More Than Gold - the ecumenical organisation envisioning, equipping and empowering local churches across the UK - promoting the vision and inspiring activity and encouraging unity.

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We then got back into groups to pray through these three exciting projects or programmes, not forgetting others that are already well established, such as the ongoing work of Bar’N’Bus in Corringham, Grays and West Thurrock, and Inspiration Youth Call who run youth clubs all over the borough.

The service closed with another song led by John Gorham. It was a great evening and John Guest has invited Transformation Thurrock back for 20 November 2011!

Isaiah 58:6-12 NIV

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:6-12 The Message

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.

What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage

Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'
"If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people's sins,

If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

I will always show you where to go.
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You'll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community liveable again.

Prayer Points from Isaiah 58:6-12 based on the NIV and TM translations

You can use this either to pray through topics arising from each verse as the Holy Spirit leads; or as a liturgical prayer, by adding “Father God” before each verse, and “In Jesus’ Name, Amen” after, perhaps allowing a short selah between each for reflection. (I have added 8 more verses to those used over the weekend.)

Loose and break the chains of injustice...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Untie the cords of the yoke and get rid of exploitation in the workplace...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Set the oppressed free - FREE THE OPPRESSED!...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Break every yoke and cancel debts...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Share your food with the hungry, provide the poor wanderer with shelter and invite the homeless poor into your homes...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Clothe the naked - put clothes on the shivering ill-clad...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Don't turn away from your own flesh and blood - be available to your own families...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Do away with the pointing finger and quit blaming victims...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Do away with malicious talk and quit gossiping about other people's sins...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Satisfy the needs of the oppressed - get rid of unfair practices...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Spend yourselves on behalf of - be generous with - the hungry...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Satisfy the needs of the oppressed and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Guide us always; show us where to go...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Satisfy our needs in a sun-scorched land - give us a full life in the emptiest of places...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Strengthen our frame with firm muscles and strong bones,,,
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

May we be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail, a gurgling spring that never runs dry...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Make us into the people who will rebuild the ancient ruins, using the old rubble of past lives to build anew...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Help us to raise up the age-old foundations - rebuild the foundations from out of our past...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

You call us and have called us to be - and others will call us, because we are - the Repairer of Broken Walls, & we'll be known as those who can fix anything...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

May the Church of God, the Body and Bride of Christ, become and be the Restorer of Streets with Dwellings, restoring old ruins, rebuilding and renovating - & making the community liveable again...
... TRANSFORM THURROCK

Tim Harrold, 22/11/2010